Dainty defiant in the face of mounting criticism

Gladstone Dainty, the president of the USA Cricket Association, has hit back at recent attacks on his board and the way it has been run.

The unease with the USACA came to a head last week when a confidential and highly critical letter from the ICC to Dainty was leaked to the media. "We question whether the current administration of USACA can play any constructive role in taking the game forward in the United States," Malcolm Speed and Ehsan Mani, the ICC's chief executive and president, had written. "We have never seen a sporting organisation that combines such great potential and such poor administration as USACA. From our observations, much of the blame for this lies with the current office-bearers of USACA including yourself. We question whether the current administration of USACA can play any constructive role in taking the game forward in the United States."

The letter said that the funding due under Project USA would be withdrawn unless the USACA fulfilled certain obligations by February 1.

Dainty was not prepared to take the criticism lying down, and said that the USACA had not committed to Project USA because of "unreasonable demands" imposed by the ICC. "They have demanded that all of the funds raised from the project go to the ICC headquarters, and then they in turn would redistribute the monies," Dainty told a Canadian website. "We have no idea what funds we would get back from the project. Also, who was to say that they would not take that money and start another organisation.

"In addition, there are legal ramifications surrounding monies raised in the US and being taken out of the country. We were simply not comfortable with that agreement because it seemed as if that was meant to benefit just one party."

And Dainty claimed that when he tried to raise his concerns at an ICC meeting last year he was told by "a top ICC executive" to "shut up". He added, rather theatrically: "You could say that perhaps I am lucky to be alive, because in years gone by I might have been lynched. Then again, you get a better idea of the people you are dealing with. With that kind of attitude, I am sceptical they can even deliver what they promised."

He also claimed that the leaking of the letter was orchestrated by the ICC. "It gives people the opportunity to see the kind of pressure that the ICC tries to exert on some of its members when they fail to go along with their demands," he insisted. Cricinfo has been informed, however, that the leak came from within the USACA and not from the ICC.

Although Dainty concluded the interview by defiantly insisting that the USACA would not enter into the agreement unless it was in the best interests of US cricket, Cricinfo understands that the agreement was signed after some heated exchanges between Dainty and senior USACA officials over the weekend.